Combined hog breeding, loading, ringing, and marking crate.



' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8 I9I5- Pdtented May 23 4 SHEETSSHEET l.

WIT/[158858;

A TTOR/VE G. L. BRUNER.

COMBINED HOG BREEDING, LOADING, RINGING, AND MARKING CRATE.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 19-15.

Patented May 23, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I IV VE/V 70/? 650/7651. 5 ?0/1/5/7 A TTOR/VEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. L. BRUNER.

COMBINED HOGBREEDING, LOADING, RINGING, AND MARKING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 1915.

1 1 84,5 1 3 Patented May 23, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

lNVE/V TOR 6 @svfiefl 1570/1/55;

ATTORNEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cD., WASHINGTON, b.-C.

G. L. BRUNER.

COMBINED HOG BREEDING, LOADING, RINGING, AND MARKING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1915.

1 1 84,513 Patented May 23, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A TTOR/VEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAHI 60.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

@FFEE.

GEORGE L. BRUNER, OF LORETTO, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED HOG- IBREEDING, LOADING, RINGING, AND MARKING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 12,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnosen L. BRUNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Loretto, in the county of Boone and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Hog Breeding, Loading, Ringing, and Marking Grates, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a combined hog breeding, loading, ringing and marking crate, and more particularly to a crate into and through which hogsmay be driven, a vertically and horizontally adjustable stanchion frame being provided for this purpose, which, in its lowest position within the crate may be moved horizontally to accommodate hogs of various sizes, and which, when elevated, permits the crate to be used as a loading frame in connection with wagons, railway cars, and'the like.

My invention further aims to provide certain details of construction, whereby to facilitate the breeding of hogs with the stanchion frame in its lowest position, whereby with the use'of the stanchion frame the hogs may be securely held in position for ringing and marking, and whereby the hogs may be further prevented from shifting laterally in the crate and lying down therein.

These various details forming parts of my invention will be better understood from the following'description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which v Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved crate disposed in horizontal position above the ground and with the parts arranged for either breeding, ringing or marking hogs. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, Fig. 3 is a front elevation, Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section therethrough, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5vis an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the movable side members with certain of its supports, Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the stanchion frame removed, Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section'with the front support lowered, Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a side elevation illustrating the stanchion frame elevated and the parts in position for loading hogs upon a wagon or railway car.

Referring now to these figures, the crate consists of lower longitudinal beams A, from the forward ends of which rise vertical beams A and from the rear ends of which rise forwardly inclined beams A the forward and rear beams A and A being connected their upper ends by longitudinal side pieces A at the upper sides of the crate, connected by a transversely extending cross piece A The beams A are connected by lower cross pieces A A and A and the forward and rear beams A and A are also connected by horizontal strips A and A these latter crossing upright strips A and A Adjacent their rear lower ends, the rear beams A are connected by a transverse ro b, upon which is journaled one end of a platform 13, having cross pieces 5 forming secure foot holds for the animal, this platform B being thus adapted to be let down with its rear end in engagement with the ground, in the position for breeding, markmg and ringing as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and@ and the position for loading as shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore when the crate is not in use, this platform may be raised to a position extending substantially along the rear beams A so as to economize in the storage space necessary.

The base G of the crate is fulcrumed at its forward end upon a rod 0 extending transversely through the lower ends of the forward uprights A, this base O being provided. with transverse strips or cleats c affording firm foot holds for the animals, and having its rear end movable vertically to and from a position alined with the forward end of the platform B, as will be seen from a comparison of Figs. 7 and 9. In order to raise and lower the rear end of the crate base C, a rod C is journaled transversely upon the lower side beams A of the crate, and provided at one end with an upwardly projecting portion C forming a handle, this rod C also having a crank portion 0 intermediate the side beams A and immediately below the rear end of the base C, by which the latter may be raised and lowered when the handle C is moved accordingly. The crate base C may be held in raised position by any suitable means, as for instance, a removable sill block C as shown in Fig. 9.

J ournaled upon the upper rear portion of the crate base C at a point substantially central between the sides thereof, is an upright U-shaped supporting rod D, the cross piece (Z of which extends through the slotted rear end cl of a longitudinal beam D, extending centrally and longitudinally above the base 0 and the purpose of which is to center the animals in the crate and prevent them from lying down therein, this beam D being lowered by movement of the support D to the position shown in Fig. 9 when the animals are either led into or through the crate, and being raised to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7 after the animals are in the crate for breeding, loading or marking. Intermediate its ends, the upper portion of the beam D is provided with a recess (Z engaged by a U-shaped latch member D the extensions of'which are journaled at (Z upon the base G, the purpose of which latch piece is to hold the beam D in its raised position as shown in Fig. 7.

Adjacent the rear of the crate, each of the sides thereof is provided with an inner side piece E, of the form best shown in Fig. 5, movable with respect to the particular crate side and pivotally connected to the upper horizontal extensions 6 of U-shaped supports E, which are journaled vertically upon the outer surfaces of the upright connecting beams A and A before mentioned. One of these supports E has an inwardly projecting lower end 6, and these lower extensions e of opposing rods at opposite sides 7 of the crate are connected by links 6 to the inner end of an intermediately pivoted lever E the outer end of which formsahandle E, projecting laterally at one side of the crate between the forward and rear ends thereof. Thus by moving the lever E in one direction or the other the side pieces E are moved or swung toward and away from the crate sides, and engage the sides of an animal already more or less centered within the crate, by means of the beams D.

Extending transversely through the upper horizontal side beams A of the crate, at a point forwardly of the transverse connecting beam A before mentioned, is a rod f, which extends through longitudinal slots 7 in the upper horizontal side pieces F of a stanchion frame F of substantially triangular form, as best seen in Fig. 6, these slots f permitting a horizontal adjustment of the stanchion frame within the crate in order to accommodate hogs of various sizes. This stanchion frame is also movable to engage the rod 7 in recesses f at its ends, the rearmost recesses of which permit the stanchion frame to be elevated to the position shown in Fig. 9, one side thereof having an aperture f adapted toaline with an aperture with one of the upper side beams A of the crate, to receive a locking rod 7, by means of which the stanchion frame is held-in elevated position when the crate is used to load hogs upon wagons or railway cars.

r The forward upright beams F of the stanchion frame support the stanchion bars F by means of links f ,'and the lower ends of the beams F just mentioned, are provided with laterally projecting pins 7, eng'ageable by notched locking bars G fulcrumed upon the crate at their rear ends to hold the lower portion of the stanchion frame in horizontally adjusted position for each animal. The lower ends of the side up rights F 2 of the stanchlon frame are also connected by transverse beams F havlng central recesses f which'receive and'support the forward end of the centering beam D before mentioned, larly by reference to Figs. 3 and 7'. V

Pivotally connected at their upper ends to the forward ends of the lower side beams A of the crate are a pair, of supporting legs H, the lower portions of which are connected by a cross bar H, and are also connected to bracing rods H the upperends of which may be hooked in staples h. and it in the operative and inoperative positions of the legs respectively, in the former position of which they depend as shown in Fig. 9 to elevate the forward end of the crate in its loading position and in the latter position of which they extend along the sides of thelower crate beams A, when the latter is in horias will be seen particuzontal position upon the ground during the breeding, ringing or marking operations;

In this latter operation the crate is placed horizontally upon the ground as best seen in Fig. 1, with the rear end of the base'C elevated to aline with the forward end of the platform B. After a hog has been run into the crate and the stanchion frame F adjusted horizontally to prevent the animal from moving forwardly beyond a desired point, the sidepieces E are adjusted inwardly and the beam D raised to both hold theanimal pieces E being adjusted outwardly against thesides of the crate, and the centeringbeam' D lowered upon the base C- I claim V 1. A crate of the character described, open at its opposite ends, and a stanchion frame 1 movable horizontally andvertically in the forward portion of the crate, whereby it may be adjusted to animals of various sizes, and raised to permit animals to nassthrough the'crate, said stanchion frame having slots and said crate having a cross bar extendingthrough said slots, whereby to form a pivot for vertical swinging movement of the stanchion frame as well as provide for its horizontal adjustment.

2. A crate of the character described, open at its opposite ends, a triangular stanchion frame within the forward portion of the crate, and having forward upright stanchion bars, and horizontal side pieces provided with longitudinal slots, a transverse bar extending through the crate sides and through the slots of the stanchion side pieces, whereby to permit the stanchion to be raised andlowered with respect to the crate, and horizontally adjusted in lowered position, and detachable connections mounted within the crate for adjustably engaging the lower portion of the stanchion frame in its lowered position.

3. A crate of the character described, open at its opposite ends, a stanchion frame within the forward portion of the crate, a base, a centering beam supported at its forward end upon the stanchion frame and extending longitudinally above the base, and an adjustable support for the rear end of the said beam carried by the base, whereby the beam may be raised and lowered.

4:. A crate of the character described, in cluding a stanchion frame normally closing the forward end thereof, laterally adjustable side pieces disposed upon the inner crate sides in the rear of the said stanchion frame, rods journaled vertically upon the sides of the crate and having angular upper and lower extensions upon the former of which the said side pieces are carried, a lever' intermediately pivoted beneath the crate, and the outer end of which extends beyond one side thereof, and links connecting the inner end of said lever to the lower extensions of said rods whereby to simultaneously adjust the said side pieces laterally within the crate.

GEORGE L. BRUNER. Witnesses:

Z. A. WILLIAMSON, FRED BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' 7 Washington, D. G." 

